She shed 12 stone after putting herself on a strict diet and gruelling exercise regime for 18 months.
But despite being thrilled with her weight loss, Lisa Riley was shocked when she was left with over a stone of unsightly, painful loose skin and 60 stretch marks.
Feeling ‘repulsed by her reflection’, the 41-year-old Emmerdale star undertook the tough decision to have four life changing surgeries.
Unhappy: Despite being thrilled with her 12 stone weight loss, Lisa Riley was shocked when she was left with over a stone of unsightly, painful loose skin and 60 stretch marks
Speaking about how unhappy she was with her body following the weight loss, Lisa said in lines obtained by the Mirror: ‘When I made the decision to lose weight, I never for one second imagined that I would end up looking like that. It never occurred to me that the loose skin would be so bad.’
Questioning why she’d lost the weight, she added: ‘I felt like I had done so well losing the weight but I had ended up with the booby prize.
‘I was revolted by my own image, it was rancid. I was used to seeing the obese Lisa reflection, but this saggy mess was new, it was painful and it was quashing the brilliance of what I had done.’
Taking action: Feeling ‘repulsed by her reflection’, the 41-year-old Emmerdale star undertook the tough decision to have four life changing surgeries
Making the decision to go for surgery, she started a community for people going through the same thing.
This led her to the brave decision to document the battle on her upcoming documentary Lisa Riley’s Baggy Body Club.
Hoping to highlight the problems faced by many, the actress underwent a tummy tuck, surgery to remove the loose skin for her thighs, a boob lift and the removal of her ‘bingo wings’.
Despite the tummy tuck leaving her with vertical and horizontal scars, Lisa admitted it was worth it to get rid of the saggy skin.
‘I was used to seeing the obese Lisa reflection, but this saggy mess was new, it was painful and it was quashing the brilliance of what I had done.’ Lisa admitted
Breaking the taboo: Making the decision to go for surgery, she started a community for people going through the same thing
People used to say, ‘Oh, it is amazing how much weight you have lost.’ But they had no idea what was going on under my clothes. I used to tuck all the rolls of skin into my tights and underwear, I was very good at hiding it.
‘I had more than 60 stretch marks, so what are a few scars? I do not care about my scars at all. I am proud of them. I am happy to show them. I couldn’t be happier about my body now if I tried.
‘This documentary is the thing I am most proud of in my life. I wanted people to see that surgery isn’t the easy route, it is really hard. But the results I have got are amazing,’ she concluded.
Lisa Riley’s Baggy Body Club is on ITV1 at 9pm Tuesday, September 5.
‘I had more than 60 stretch marks, so what are a few scars? I do not care about my scars at all. I am proud of them’ she said post surgery
Coming soon: Lisa Riley’s Baggy Body Club is on ITV1 at 9pm Tuesday, September 5